caging the bird
by asheyuis
Summary: The Branch Members have waited for Nine long years. Nanadaime Uzumaki Naruto never honoured his promise. Oneshot. Ignores Naruto:The Last, Boruto: Naruto the Movie and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations


_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

 _One Year Ago._

Uzumaki Naruto _**promised**_ to free the Branch Members during the Chunin Exam of the Invasion.

The Branch Members still held hope.

 _Two Years Ago._

Uzumaki Naruto was off on a training trip with Jiraiya of the Sannin for Three Long Years.

Hyuga Neji himself trained as well... _ **still holding hope.**_

 _Three Years Ago._

Uzumaki Naruto was still on the training trip.

Hyuga Hinata started to **_try_** and incorporate Branch Members into conversations.

 _Four Years Ago._

Uzumaki Naruto had returned and had **_forgotten about them?_**

The small thread of hope they were clinging to grew larger as it remembered that Uzumaki had to become Hokage first.

 _Five Years Ago._

The Fourth Great Shinobi War was in full swing.

Branch Members pushed the thought into a tiny dark corner of their brain and _**fought**_ for their world.

 _Six Years Ago._

Fourth Shinobi War ended. Senju Tsunade stepped down and Rokudaime Hatake Kakashi stepped up.

They lied to themselves that **_this was the next step._**

 ** _...Neji Hyuga died._**

 _Seven Years Ago._

Uzumaki Naruto became Hokage-in-Training.

They often wondered when he'd actually become **_Hokage._**

 _Eight Years Ago._

Their hope drew to an end.

Frayed threads scattered.

 ** _Nanadaime Uzumaki Naruto reigned._**

 _And Hyuga Neji's son started preparations._

 _Nine. Years. Ago._

Branch Members rebelled, the cursed lines on their foreheads no longer there.

The Hyuga Clan and the village of Konohagakure itself spilt into Civil War.

Blood splattered the ground as the Nanadaime himself joined the fray, ripping and tearing through the Branch Members _**ruthlessly**_ as they dared threaten his **precious** village.

The fiery-golden cloak of the Kyuubi no Kitsune rose and slaughtered everything in its path.

Nanadaime Uzumaki Naruto didn't

even

say

"sorry"

.

 _Ten Years..._

Nanadaime Uzumaki Naruto descended into the dimly lit secret passageway that led into the dungeons, where the rest of the Hyuga Branch Members resided. The result of the Main Family Members winning the Civil War meant that the Branch Members were reduced down so much that Naruto could count them on one hand.

The Branch Members made up 80% of the Hyuga Clan.

Deathly white prisoners raised their heads, then dropped them back down again as the sound of footsteps faded away.

After all, Naruto was looking for one person.

He slammed his hands against the cell bars and snarled. "What would your parents have thought of you? What would **Neji** have thought of you now?!"

Hyuga _Hikaru_ looked up from his mossy cobblestone floor and replied with the exact same words he'd yelled at the Nanadaime during the Civil War. _**"Chunin Exam of the Invasion."**_ Cracked, bloody lips pulled back to reveal yellow teeth. _**"Remember, Ho-ka-ge? What. Did you**_ _promise.?"_

Despite the fairly guttural sounds coming out of Hikaru's mouth, his pearl eyes shone with truimph and his voice, tinged with laughter.

Naruto could only furrow his brows in confusion as he tried to remember that far back.

.

.

.

Kurama sighed and closed his eyes.

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

"...what? No, no, no. Hikaru, I'm sorry sorry sorry sorry I just, just couldn't remember and, and—"

 ** _"Save your SHIT! Where were you?! We waited NINE long years, your Kage reign for TWO! And when Hatake Kakashi reigned, HE WAS YOUR FUCKING SENSEI! Shut. Your. Trap. It's too late. And now you apologise? I saw you murder my KIN without even a sorry. It's. Too. Late."_**

A tear slipped out of Naruto's eye.

and

he

turned

.

The Kyuubi no Kitsune always knew how to run at the very least.

Hikaru's laughter blended into Neji's and Naruto ran, trying to shake the shattered glass of a broken promise from his mind.

He'd failed Neji.

And now Neji's son.

.

.

.

 ** _END._**

 ** _AN: So this was another plot bunny. I dunno if any of you will get the feels from this, because I didn't really but that's really just because apparently I'm apathetic to the world around me. Bleh. Anyways, this was just another oneshot although I might make something similar, along the lines of another broken promise._**

 ** _caramel-corvus goes to school._**


End file.
